Newest candidate in Albany’s 1st Ward: Democrat Andres Rivera

Andres Rivera with his daughter, La’Vaye, at the Delaware Community School in 2011.

Andres Rivera will be the latest candidate to enter the race to succeed 1st Ward Albany Councilman Dominick Calsolaro.

Rivera, 41, a Bronx native who has lived in Albany permanently since 2005, is scheduled to announce his candidacy at 6 p.m. at the entrance to Mount Hope Playground.

Rivera, a Democrat, works as a contractor for the state running a parole house in Schenectady but said he plans to resign that job. He is also involved with SOMOS El Futuro, Inc., a group that focuses on issues facing New York’s Hispanic community.

As a graduate student in 2011,he was involved in a protest of budget cuts and tuition increases at the University at Albany that ultimately landed students a public audience with then-President George Philip.

Rivera said he moved to Albany after often visiting his father here.

Calsolaro has already endorsed Democrat Dorcey Applyrs to succeed him after 12 years representing the district along the city’s southern border with Bethlehem.

Ward Leader Regina Goodbee said a little over two weeks ago that she had been approached by a candidate other than Mannarino but declined to identify him or her. It wasn’t immediately clear Friday whether Rivera was that candidate.

The 1st Ward is one of the two new wards in which the minority community now constitutes a voting-age majority after this year’s redistricting. Now six of the 15 fall into that category, up from four a decade ago.